The People: bridging the gap between business and society by Kian Bakhtiari

I was born in Iran and came to the U.K as a child refugee in 2000. As you can Imagine, this was a strange new world; completely different from the one I grew up in. By the time I learned to speak English, I was already getting into a lot of trouble at school. I was mischievous, rebellious and above all curious

Luckily for me, I had a teacher who believed in me and this changed the trajectory of my life. Statistically speaking, my life should have turned out differently, as it did for most of the people I grew up with.

I guess I was fortunate enough to have some doors slide open for me just in time. This very personal experience has provided me with a fundamental Insight:

All humans beings are equal; opportunity is the only thing which separates us

Sadly, most of the world’s population will never get the life chances that I did. This results in a waste of talent, resources, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

In 2016, I was given a rare and unprecedented opportunity to become a founding member of Fortysix: a new kind of agency that uses the power of diverse perspectives to solve business problems.

Fortysix was part of Dentsu Aegis Network, one of the largest media and advertising groups in the world. During my two years there as Head of Strategy, I discovered that some of the world’s biggest brands were struggling to connect with young people in a meaningful way. Today’s consumers are more empowered and Informed than ever before. Hence why they’re choosing to engage with the brands that share their values and beliefs. In fact, 72% of consumers would recommend a brand that supports a good cause over one that doesn’t. To remain relevant, brands need to talk less and do more for society and the environment.

That’s why I decided to start The People: a change agency which connects social Impact projects with brands that care. A bit like Tinder, except we enable brands and good causes to connect, collaborate and create shared value. Our mission is to bridge the gap between business and society based on the U.N’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Creating a win-win scenario for people, planet and even profit. Using our platform, social projects can get the necessary resources to scale and promote the good work that they’re doing. Whilst brands get the opportunity to embed new thinking, products, strategies and above all doing good into the core of their business.

Creative Conscience is an awesome organisation which has been using the power of creativity to Imagine new possibilities, create change and Improve people’s lives for the last six years. The Creative Conscience Awards gives young people a platform to shape the products, services and experiences they want to see in the world. Perhaps more Importantly; they’re then given the necessary support to bring their Ideas into life. Creative Conscience is a true champion of equal opportunities and creativity rooted in purpose. I’m super excited to be partnering up with such an Inspiring movement. After all, we can’t save the world in silos.